


i'd love to love you; jaesung (the rose)

by knjuulpod (wr1t1ngz)



Category: The Rose (Band)
Genre: ? - Freeform, Best Friends, Boyfriends, Canon Compliant, Domestic Fluff, Drabble, Flirting, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, I love this ship, Kissing, Long-Distance Relationship, M/M, Slice of Life, Slow Burn, as slow as 2k words can be ig lmaooo, bc woosung travels a lot, i dont care if im the only one, i love it, implied hajoon/dojoon, jaesung, soft, this is short but its bc idk how to write the rose yet plz bare with me, two joon are just trying to live their best life, woosung is a flirt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-25
Updated: 2019-12-25
Packaged: 2021-02-26 01:40:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,743
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21945238
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wr1t1ngz/pseuds/knjuulpod
Summary: it’s always gone unspoken, for the most part. and it’s never passed an unacceptable level of dubious, but jaehyeong knows there’s something there, something he’s too scared to investigate.
Relationships: Kim Woosung | Sammy/Lee Jaehyeong | Jeff, Lee Hajoon | Dylan & Park Dojoon | Leo, implied tho - Relationship
Comments: 3
Kudos: 48





	i'd love to love you; jaesung (the rose)

**Author's Note:**

> i’ve never written for the rose before so please be nice. loosely based off of the “ilysb” performance on superband by woosung and his team. go watch it! or just the rose cover of it, they’re both amazing.

jaehyeong, albeit smart and observant, is not the most attentive or in touch with his own feelings. he loves his band members; they’d been through so much together after all. but the way he loved woosung always felt a little different. jaehyeong’s not dumb, he knows that their relationship has transgressed platonic more than once. he knows that what he and woosung have is just a little different from what he and dojoon or hajoon have. although they have the same background, they all have different bonds, different relationships. 

it’s always gone unspoken, for the most part. and it’s never passed an unacceptable level of dubious, but jaehyeong knows there’s something there, something he’s too scared to investigate.

but things change, woosung gets busy, a lot busier than he was when they first debuted. suddenly he’s meeting up to film youtube videos, to mc, to hang out with their sunbaes. suddenly woosung is getting solo invites and suddenly jaehyeong feels torn. woosung comes home later, or not at all, and sometimes jaehyeong feels like he only seems him at band practice.

he loves his best friend; he wants to support his best friend, but he also wants to have him. jaehyeong hates to admit it sometimes but woosung’s ever so busy schedule is the cause of his heartbreak. he loves woosung,  _ they all  _ love woosung, it’s not his fault that he’s so admired, god, jaehyeong admires him just as much, if not more, but sometimes he wishes that woosung could just come home.

“we have to be supportive hyeongie.” dojoon would smile, ruffling jaehyeongs hair lightly as he catches him watching woosung on after school club.

“i know hyung, i know.” he would answer back, closing youtube and tossing his phone to the side. “i know.”

jaehyeong has known dojoon and hajoon a lot longer than he’s known woosung. they were together before woosung joined, but somehow, he feels like the dorm, the group, is empty without woosung.

“i know it’s hard, we’ve all worked hard. i feel envious sometimes too, i wish it was all of us, but woosung works hard at keeping up with everything he does. we should be proud.” dojoon sighed, nodding to himself.

“that’s not why jae’s been like this.”

jaehyeong and dojoons heads turned to look at the new voice in the room.

“jae just misses him, is all.” hajoon shrugged, “i think we all do.”

jaehyeong nodded to himself, he feels a lot right now but if there’s anything he’s sure of, it’s that he does miss woosung.

\---

calling woosung when he’s busy with individual schedules always feels ridiculously daunting. ridiculous because they’re friends, daunting because they’re not  _ just  _ friends. when hajoon calls or when their manager calls and it’s all of them there on the phone sending him a goodluck message then jaehyeong feels like it’s okay, because it’s not overly personal. but when it’s just him, when it’s just them, it’s like he forgets who to be or how to act. 

“jaehyeongie!” woosungs voice exclaimed over the phone energetically, “i was wondering when you’d call.”

jaehyeong swallows, of course. despite how nerve wracking it can be to call woosung, it doesn’t mean jaehyeongs a coward, if he wants to talk to woosung he’s going to, even if it makes him feel nauseous as he listens to the phone ring.

“how’s superband?” jaehyeong asks, ignoring woosungs comment and the voice in his head telling him that he’s already asked that question 3 times before. 

“it’s good. i love it and all but it can get kinda lonely, hyungsang is a sweetheart though, i've discovered. he’s a quiet kid but has a heart of gold, and he’s talented, holy shit.”

jaehyeong can’t help but laugh, “yeah, i saw the ‘with you’ performance, kid’s got a lot of talent.”

“are you watching tonight?” woosung asks, jaehyeong hears hesitancy in his voice. 

“yeah, sure, why?” jaehyeong replies, reaching for the tv remote, it’s 6pm meaning the show will be on soon.

woosung swallows, it travels through the phone, “just, thought you’d like tonight's performance.”

jaehyeong quirked an eyebrow, “oh sure, i’ll tell hajoon and dojoon hyung that tonight’s is important.”

“no.” woosung says quickly, “i mean you can, but it’s more for you. i think  _ you’d  _ like it.”

jaehyeong shivers, a light chuckle escaping him, “okay, sure, yeah.” 

there’s a moment of silence, jaehyeong bites nervously as he sees the show start on tv.

“well, we have a dinner now, but i’ll talk to you some more later yeah?”

jaehyeong nods, “yeah, talk to you later.”

they don’t end up talking later, but jaehyong likes to think it’s for the best, he thinks that if he had to talk to woosung then the performance would have come up and he wouldn’t be able to properly summarise just how weak he felt as he watched woosung up on that stage, singing such words while the sentence  _ “it’s for you” _ echoes through his mind. 

\---

jaehyeong doesn’t want to see the “ilysb” performance as a confession, he thinks that's just a little far fetched. and yes, woosung did instruct him specifically to watch it, and, yes, he did mention how it was ‘for him’ but that doesn’t have to mean anything, it doesn’t have to change anything, (even if he wishes it would). 

“so, what else do we want to put on the setlist?” dojoon asks, twiddling hajoon’s drumsticks in a pathetic attempt to copy the tricks that hajoon can do with them.

“marry you? the fans seem to like that one?” woosung suggests, doodling absentmindedly on his notepad. 

hajoon hums at the idea, grabbing his drumsticks from dojoon, “yeah, why not.”

“ilysb.” jaehyeong says simply, sitting back in his chair. 

woosung perks at the mention of the song, eyes meeting jaehyeongs. 

“that song that woosung hyung sang on superband. i think we could do it well.” jaehyeong finishes curtly, gaze averting woosungs. 

hajoons eyes flick between the eldest and youngest, neither of them seem to notice his staring. hajoon notes how woosung seems too caught up in jaehyeong and jaehyeong seems too caught up in anything but woosung. 

“right, ilysb. what else?” 

\---

jaehyeong should have known that him acknowledging the song would have spurred something in woosung. jaehyeong’s never been the confrontational type, but woosung is. so really, he should have been expecting a confrontation of one or the other sort sooner or later. 

“jaehyeong-ah.” 

jaehyeong looks up at the door as it creaks open slightly, quickly discarding his phone to the side. 

“hyung?” he asks, eyes meeting woosungs which are peering through the gap in the door. 

“you, uh, you busy?” woosung asks delicately, opening the door further. 

jaehyeong shakes his head, “not too busy for you.” 

(he cringes but woosung lights up, so it’s not all that bad.)

“let’s go for a drive.” 

woosung’s the eldest, but more often than not jaehyeong feels like he needs to look after him. it’s not anything serious per say, woosung’s just always so playful. his mind is sometimes off in places where his body stays present, meaning he’s clumsy and forgetful and jaehyeong always tries to bring him back. 

it's not like he’s any better. jaehyeong’s just as off in the stars as woosung is, mind always flying far from where his physicality can reach. he thinks, if there's one thing he admires in woosung its his imagination and his words. woosung’s so vocal with his feelings, jaehyeong feels like woosung’s always got the right words to express himself. he wishes he could speak as easily as woosung does. 

“the sky’s clear tonight” woosung states openly, fingers pushing down the button on the side of the door, making the window screen sink down. 

jaehyeong only hums in agreement, steering carefully out of the parking lot. 

“i told two-joon that we’re out, said we should pick up some coke on the way back.” woosung mentions lightly. jaehyeong think’s the clarification is there to say,  _ ‘be open, we won’t be interrupted.’  _

but maybe that’s a stretch. 

jaehyeong hums again but regrets it almost instantly as he hears woosung sigh softly, head dropping.

“where do you want to go?” jaehyeong says quickly, an attempt to inform woosung that he’s present and willing for actual conversation. 

“anywhere, it’s not the destination that matters.” woosung replies, eyes landing on jaehyeong for a moment. 

“what is it that matters?” the question leaves jaehyeong before he can consider the implications of it, he looks back at woosung. 

_ what defines a moment, _ jaehyeong thinks,  _ is this a moment? _

woosungs eyes are soft as they stare into jaehyeongs, “you.”

perhaps  _ ‘moment’  _ isn’t the right word, because it felt a lot longer than that.

\---

jaehyeong hates the way that it feels as if woosung can read his mind. it’s not an intrusive feeling, but he feels far too open, too vulnerable. he feels strange whenever woosung looks at him like he knows how every gear in jaehyeong’s mind churns. 

“jaehyeong-ah, it’s okay, hyung will be back soon.” woosung says quietly, to jaehyeong only, despite hajoon and dojoon sitting in the back of the car.

it’s not that he speaks hushed, or secretly, but woosung speaks to him alone, jaehyeong knows it. 

the drive to the airport isn’t the longest, he’s been on this route so many times he knows exactly when to look out the window to catch the bookstore he always admires or the cafe’s woosung likes to marvel at. 

“i know.” 

wooung falters in jaehyeong peripheral vision and jaehyeong feels the air being knocked out of his lungs. 

“it’s only 3 days, then it’s back on for music show preparation, so rest well while i'm gone yeah?” 

even though jaehyeong feels like he needs to look after woosung, in moments like these, when woosungs off on another mission somewhere, jaehyeong wants nothing more than to be told soft promises about when woosung gets back. 

maybe he’s just a little too weak for woosung. 

“promise you’ll rest well.” woosung says, more hushed this time, shoulder nudging jaehyeongs.

“yeah, whatever, we have stuff on today still.” 

jaehyeong doesn’t want to sound so harsh. 

woosung doesn't think it’s that harsh anyways. 

“call me when you land?” 

woosung nods, pinky inching closer to jaehyeongs until they overlap, jaehyeong soars. 

“i promise.”

he’s definitely too weak for woosung. 

\---

woosung texts jaehyeong a picture of the skies in california. nonchalantly captioned with _ “all these stars but i can't seem to find you.” _

jaehyeong tells him it’s dumb.

woosung knows it is, but he knows it put jaehyeongs busy mind at ease. 

jaehyeong wants to text a richer comeback, one to make woosung laugh, but he’s stopped by woosung’s caller id on his screen, and his heart in his throat. 

“woosung hyung, shouldn’t you be sleeping?”

“- 's always harder to sleep here.” woosung comments, jaehyeong hears a teasing tone in his voice and already knows he’s in for it. 

“hm, and why’s that?” jaehyeong plays along, heart too happy and mind too empty.

“because you’re not here.” woosung sighs lowly, jaehyeong hears a soft  _ ‘oof’,  _ he assumes woosung’s finally laid down in bed. 

“yes i'm sure you need me there for that, how ever will you survive?” 

woosung laughs, bright but gentle, “i don't know jae,” woosung’s voice drops, sincerity pouring out suddenly, “how will i?”

jaehyeong shivers under the considers the thoughts behind those words.

“well when you get back you know my bed’s always capable of taking another person.”

jaehyeong meant to say it as a joke, he really did, but woosung makes a noise of pleasant agreement and jaehyeong thinks that maybe, just maybe, it’s best that it wasn’t a joke. 

\---

woosung’s returning flight lands at 2 in the morning. 

jaehyeong had intended to stay up, waiting for his hyung, for his woosung, but things don’t go as smoothly and he drifts off, one headphone still in and  _ “i.l.y” _ playing on repeat. 

but jaehyeong’s awaken by the charcoal covers of his bed ruffling and a weight pressing into his mattress.

“hm?” he grunts out, eyes adjusting, blinking slowly. 

“it’s me.” 

woosung. 

“ah, hyung, sorry, i fell asleep.” jaehyeong mumbles weakly, tugging the headphone from his ear. 

“it’s okay, i'm tired too, rest.” 

jaehyeong feels two palms press at his chest, pushing him back down into the mattress, he sinks in, welcoming the warmth of woosung’s body next to his. 

jaehyeong expects woosung to move to the side, maybe even leave the bed, but he doesn’t, he stays, right next to jaehyeong, pressed closely to his body. 

“this okay?” 

jaehyeong nods, chin coming in contact briefly with the top of woosung’s head.

jaehyeong drifts off soon after, but he doesn’t miss the press of lips against his collarbone or the hand in his own. 

\---

jaehyeong always seems to wake up last. despite how dojoon’s snoring keeps hajoon up and how woosung likes to stay up talking to matthew. nevertheless, he’s alway up latest, even when they have scedules and the members know they need to wake him, they always let him sleep a little longer. 

the fact that it’s still winter in seoul doesn’t help, it’s still dark out when they wake up, the sun’s only starting to peak through the blinds when jaehyeong walks into the kitchen, a complaint of  _ “why didn’t you wake me up?” _ on his lips. 

“you’re the maknae jaehyeongie.” dojoon mockingly coos when woosung hands jaehyeong a coffee. 

“leave him alone, the only reason you wake up early is so you can shower wit-” 

dojoon coughs awkwardly, effectively shutting woosung up but the smirk on his face goes nowhere. 

there’s a silent debate going on between the two, dojoon clearly scolding woosung in his head while woosung makes teasing faces in return, jaehyeong watches intently. well, watches woosung intently. 

when jaehyeong has (perhaps an out of proportion statement) woosung like this, hair tousled from sleep and a blanket around his shoulders as he hugs his mug close to his body, jaehyeong wants nothing more than to kiss him. 

it was weird the first time jaehyeong felt the undeniable need to pull woosung close to his body and kiss him till his lips are numb and mind is empty, but jaehyeong doesn’t feel that weirdness anymore. it’s melted away with the way that woosungs eyes feel like home and his presence feels like a promise of forever. 

“i can’t get enough of you.” 

woosung’s eyes shoot up, suddenly alert. 

_ did i say that out loud? _

jaehyeong looks around and realises that dojoon’s gone, for how long he doesn’t know, but he’s grateful.

“jae-”

“i can’t get enough of you.” jaehyeong repeats it, the words strangely comfortable on his lips, his back is straight now, he feels confident. 

“jaehyeong-ah it’s too early for this.” woosung laughs gingerly, adjusting the blanket around his body, gently placing his mug down. 

jaehyeong can’t agree, it’s never too early, if anything, he’s too late. 

jaehyeong stands quickly, body moving before his mind as he corners woosung against the island in the kitchen, “it was too early when i thought you were the love of my life after only speaking to you twice, but now, now is perfect.”

woosung shake against jaehyeong’s body. maybe if woosung hadn’t told him to watch that performance, didn’t ask to go for a drive, didn’t text him that picture, if woosung didn’t climb into bed with him last night like it was nothing, maybe then jaehyeong wouldn’t have been this brash. 

“i love you.” 

jaehyeong doesn’t know if it was him or woosung that said it, all he knows is that he suddenly feels the press of woosungs rings against his cheeks and the soft fibres of the blanket under his fingers as woosungs lips finally,  _ finally,  _ meet his. 

jaehyeong is convinced that if he had to experience one sensation for the rest of eternity it would be kissing woosung. kim woosung. kim woosung of the rose. the boy who could get anyone at his knees, chose  _ him. _

“you, kept, me, waiting, for, years.” woosung mumbles out in between kisses, hiking his one leg up against jaehyeong’s waist, pushing himself to sit on the island top. 

“thought i should get to know you first.” jaehyeong returns, breaking from the kiss as woosungs ankles lock behind his back.

“coward.” 

jaehyeong laughs, “rich coming from someone who sang a song for me on live television but still couldn’t confess.”

woosung smacks his chest, “stop being mean and kiss me again.”


End file.
